A Wedding, A Scandal, and A Rather Fun New Year
by insertcleverandwittytitlehere
Summary: Vic and Teddy are getting married, and Albus Potter is not prepared for the overload of "cute wedding fun." Al proposes an idea to Rose: bring Scorpius Malfoy as a date so that Al can skive off on wedding detail with his best mate. But there're many other things going on in the Weasley-Potter world, and Al's "simple" plan is more convoluted than he's letting on. (T for language.)
1. A Favor

**A/N:** This is just a silly idea I couldn't shake, so here it is. Enjoy!

As always, I am not JK, so therefore I own none of this world *cries*

Anywho, thanks, all!

* * *

"I need to call in a favor," Albus slid into the seat beside Rose. His black hair was a mess, and Rose could see the hint of toothpaste on his lips.

"Late morning?" she asked, turning back to her book.

"Roooose!" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.

"Albuuuus!" She mimicked. A grin spread across her face, which made Albus look at her pleadingly. She really did love her family, but her mind was on other things, and Al's favor was not on her to-do list. The winter holidays were fast approaching, and Rose still needed to pack, finish three essays, and mentally prepare herself for two weeks of Weasley-Family-Fun. "What favor?"

"I want to take Scorp to the wedding," he said.

"Scorpius?" Rose's nose scrunched up.

"Well, not as a date, you ninny." Al rolled his eyes. "I don't want to sit through Victoire and Teddy's lovefest without a friend there, but Mum said only dates can come. And I'm not about to ask a bloke out on a date, which leaves…"

"Me." It was Rose's turn to roll her eyes. Absolutely _not_. Scorpius Malfoy—a friend and fellow Slytherin to Al—was not her friend. He was barely her acquaintance. What was she supposed to do with him the whole time? It was going to be two _full_ weeks of nothing but wedding activities. Even Christmas was going to be a Weasley affair. Plus, her father would never go for it. "No, Al."

"I knew you'd say that," Al quickly changed seats so that he was still in her line of sight. Rose had turned her body away, signifying the conversation was over, but Al just didn't seem to get it. He jumped from her left side to her right, forcing her to look into his green eyes. "So I decided to ask Ara."

"Ara?" Rose's nose scrunched up again.

"Not as a real date, stupid."

Rose felt her eyes narrow. "Doesn't this conversation sound familiar to you?"

"I'd ask her as a friend," Al continued, ignoring her sarcasm. "Both Scorp and Ara would know that this arrangement is purely for the fact that you and I have _someone_ to talk to who isn't redheaded and loud."

"Al, no." Rose shut her book. She pushed her empty breakfast plate to the middle of the table, and it disappeared. Collecting her books and standing, Rose decided it best to head toward her first class of the day: Herbology.

She was half concerned that Al would follow her regardless of whether or not she said no. But he was a Potter, and therefore not nearly as strong-headed as some of her other relatives.

Rose couldn't see why she would agree. It was a dumb idea. Scorpius and Rose barely talked unless Al made them. A couple of times, Rose had to work with the blond in Potions, but they usually kept to the topic at hand. The hard part would be having to ask him, then ask her parents, then spend the first three days with Scorpius—and only Scorpius—until the family left for France. The wedding was going to take place on the eve of New Year's Eve in Paris. The wedding guests were to arrive in the city on Christmas Eve and sequentially participate in planned activities for the entire week.

And Rose knew Victoire well; she wouldn't let Al and Scorp skive off and do other things. She would make couples stay together, because it would be "oh so romantic" and all that nonsense.

No. Rose would definitely not be going through with this favor.

* * *

Potions was Scorpius's favorite class. It made him feel like he was actually doing something, because he got to work with his hands and not just his wand. Of course, he loved being a wizard, and wands were a direct relation to being such, but mixing ingredients really made him feel like his magic was real.

Professor Howell was talking about the test they would have before the break started.

"We'll review today with our partners. On Friday, everything will be individual work. I'm still debating with myself if I'd rather give an oral examination or if I should let you lot write out the answers."

Scorpius watched as his Potions partner, Rose Weasley, raised her hand. He felt himself smirking, already knowing what was coming.

"You know, Professor," Rose sat back in her seat once Howell called on her. "I doubt you _want_ to read all those papers _and_ grade an exam over the break. At least with an oral exam, you can grade it right on the spot."

Cheeky little thing. There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the class. Rose was smiling smugly, which made Scorpius laugh. She looked at him with her piercing blue eyes then quickly turned away. So Al _had_ talked to her already.

"Hm. I'll think about it, Miss Weasley," Howell smirked. He was used to her antics to get out of extra work. Scorpius knew Rose was extremely intelligent—she wouldn't be in Ravenclaw if she wasn't—but sometimes her bargaining with professors for less work made him see so much Slytherin in her.

"Right," Howell continued addressing everyone, "you can go through the book and see which of the last five potions we worked on that you think you'd need help with. Once you find yours, you can start brewing."

Scorpius turned to Rose, but she looked to be debating with herself whether or not to talk to him about what Al said. His silly prat of a friend wanted nothing to do with the upcoming nuptials of his cousin and honorary brother. In fact, Al had said on more than one occasion that he wished they weren't getting married at all. Apparently they fought all the time, and that wasn't good for anybody, according to Al.

Either way, it was happening. Victoire Weasley and Teddy Lupin were getting married, and it would be _extravagant_ to say the least. Al really wanted Scorp there to balance the absurdity of the whole ordeal. He kept going on and on about bridezillas—whatever that meant.

"Rose," Scorp finally said. He figured he'd get it over with quickly. "I'm sure you've talked to Al by now."

Her head snapped up, her red, bushy hair bouncing around her face. She had three freckles on her nose, like a little triangle. Scorpius always wanted to connect them with his quill.

"Yes," Rose sounded strained. "And I don't think I'm going to agree with him."

"Yeah? I figured." Scorpius smiled, pulling Rose's already-open book toward him. "So I was thinking we could go over the Volubilis potion. I added too much Hellebore last time, which is why I think it turned green instead of blue."

"No, that was because I put in mint leaves instead of mint sprigs. They're not known substitutes for each other, so I think that made it green," Rose countered.

"Volubilis it is."

They got to work, only communicating when they needed to see what was next. Scorpius liked this, though. It meant he could concentrate solely on the potion. It wasn't uncomfortable working in near silence with Rose. It was peaceful.

"So," Rose dropped in mint sprigs, letting the potion simmer. They had about ten minutes before the brew would turn blue and the next ingredient could be added. "You knew I wouldn't go along with Al's plan?"

Scorpius looked at her. She was stirring the cauldron, but he could tell her eyes were unfocused. Did he sense guilt? Why was she guilty about saying no to her cousin's idiotic plan?

"Of course. The plan is stupid," Scorp started to measure out the Hellebore. Rose's face relaxed at his words. So she was feeling guilty about saying no. Well, no need for that. "Al needs to suck it up and deal with your crazy family. No offense of course."

"A little taken."

Scorp stopped pouring and looked at Rose, worried. He was only repeating what Al had said to him on numerous occasions. But then Rose smiled, and Scorp knew she was teasing. She began laughing at his momentary discomfort, and Scorpius couldn't help but think her laugh sounded almost melodious. Like little chimes tinkling in the wind.

"That's too much," Rose composed herself, grabbing the vial from his hand. For a moment, their skin touched, and Scorpius felt his chest tighten. Rose didn't seem to notice, so he busied himself with watching her. Chest tightening was normal for a boy of seventeen, anyways… right? "It says we only need a few drops of the Syrup of Hellebore."

After that, they both concentrated on the potion. It turned to blue, then finally the yellow it was meant to be Rose leaned over the cauldron, her hair wrapping around her face like a curtain. "It's not sparking."

Scorpius leaned in too, his brows knit together. "That's weird."

"I really thought we got it this time."

"Did you add the second batch of mint sprigs?"

He could feel Rose tense beside him, and for a moment Scorpius could only think of how close they were to each other. He turned his head until his own eyes landed on hers, not even a foot away.

"Damn," she whispered. "I forgot about that."

"It's okay," he straightened up. "We're better off than last time."

"Sorry, anyways," she smiled sheepishly. The three freckles on her hose crinkled with her smile.

"Don't be." Scorpius smirked back. He knew she had missed the sprigs. He also knew she added mint leaves instead the last time. In fact, he had added the required about of Hellebore the last time. One thing he tried really hard to do was let Rose figure out the potions. It wasn't her best subject, and he wasn't about to walk her through the steps. He wanted her to learn; she was top of the class after all.

His father was a Healer, so Scorpius had learned a great deal about potions early on. He was planning to join the team at St. Mungo's at the end of the school year. Al had told Scorp once that Rose was also interested in Healing, so the Slytherin had taken it upon himself to help. Subtly of course, but still. Helping.

The bell rang and Rose was off. It was lunch time, after all, and he knew she was going to meet up with her brother. It's what they did. It was annoyingly precious, really, and if Scorpius had had any siblings, he'd probably follow suit. But, instead, he had Al. And Al was going to be whining all through his meal about how _awful_ the holidays would be.

Scorpius packed up his things, rolled his eyes, and prepared himself for the Albus-onslaught.

* * *

Hugo was at the Gryffindor table, sitting next to Lily and Louis. Rose sat across from the trio, smiling as identical faces looked up at her. They all had inherited the Weasley red hair. Hugo's was frizzy, like their mum's, while both Lily and Louis had straight locks. Louis wore his long like his father. All three looked like spitting images of Grandpa Weasley, however, with warm brown eyes and round faces. Of course, little nuances were there, showing that they were different. Hugo had almond-shaped eyes like their mum. Lily wore glasses, her eyesight clearly inherited from her father. Louis had a sharp nose and jawline, which was pure Fleur.

"You're late," Hugo chided.

"You're early," Rose countered. A plate appeared in front of her, and she began loading it up with sandwiches and sweets.

Lily was telling them about the Quidditch team practice from the other night. Rose almost told her cousin that she was revealing tactics to another team, but Rose wasn't going to go repeating what she heard. She wasn't a snitch.

"Connor is terrifying. He's saying that if we don't beat Hufflepuff in February, he's holding tryouts again. Mad, that boy is, and—what's he doing?" Lily's head snapped to something just behind Rose's shoulder. Quickly, the older girl spun around. Al was fast approaching the table, his eyes set on her.

Rose turned back around, letting her face fall into her hands. "Tell your brother to shove off."

"Why?" Hugo chimed in. She could hear the smile on his face. "What happened?"

"What happened is that, Rose," Al said from behind Rose. She instinctively spread her legs apart on the bench, hoping he wouldn't sit down beside her. (He did anyways. Right on her left leg, too.) "Our dear, beautiful, and loving Rose has refused me my well-deserved happiness."

Rose lifted her head to stare at Al. What an idiot.

She looked at her brother and two cousins. All three looked confused and a little bit apprehensive. Al and Rose were close, and they couldn't even imagine what would cause her to deny Al his happiness.

So, she did what any person would do. "Al's trying to go out on a date with Scorpius Malfoy."

"What!" Lily gasped. Al was spluttering beside Rose, waving his arms around and saying, "No—wait—uh—no—listen—wait."

Hugo was laughing, hard.

"It's about time you two lovebirds made a move. You're practically inseparable," Louis teased. Rose couldn't help herself; she looked back toward the Slytherin table, and there was Scorpius watching his friend with a scowl on his face. He had an angular face. Long, pointy nose. Sharp chin. His hair was a platinum blond color, almost white. Rose knew it was him in an instant.

To think, she felt guilty earlier for saying no. Her eyes met his for a moment, and Rose couldn't stop her face from blushing. Scorpius had emerald green eyes. They weren't light like Al's, but more so dark, like the forest roof on a cloudy day. She turned away quickly. She was only blushing because they were talking about Scorpius and he caught her—sorta. She shook her head and listened as Al explained the real reason for his lack of happiness.

"I want _Rose_ to take Scorpius to the wedding. And I'm gonna ask Ara Waters. Then, we can swap people when we get there, and we'll each have a friend."

"That's idiotic," Lily scowled.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes." She said. "It's idiotic because Vic won't go for it. She'll _know_."

"Yeah," Louis added. "She's all about couples being together during the whole thing. I think it's her way of getting back at Dom."

"She's still upset?" Lily asked.

"Wouldn't you be?"

They were quiet for a moment, before Rose cleared her throat. The two sisters were known to go at each other's throats, and their latest row was practically earth shattering. Rose sided with Dom on the matter, but she didn't want to say it out loud. Because then she'd have to give her reasons, and she wasn't prepared for that yet.

"If you're serious about this, why don't you ask Roxanne to take Scorpius?" Rose turned to Al. "They actually talk to each other. Unlike me."

"You talk to Scorp plenty," Al waved her off. "Besides, Rox is taking Connor."

"Connor?" Lily interjected. "Connor, as in _Wood_? Connor, as in my Quidditch captain? Connor, as in he's going to make me do laps in Paris? Connor, as in—"

"Yes, Lily. Now shut up!" Al said.

"Are they dating?" Louis asked, looking down the table to the seventh year Gryffindors. Roxanne was leaning into Connor Wood. His hand was wrapped around her waist.

"Apparently," Rose sighed. She turned to Al again. "Okay, what if… Lily! What if Lily takes him?"

Al looked at his little sister. "Absolutely not."

"Yeah, Rose. I don't really want to go with anyone," Lily agreed.

"Rose, please!" Al's voice switched from determined to pleading. "I really don't want to go to this in the first place. It'll be torturous!"

"Albus. It's a wedding. Not the end of the world," Rose retorted.

"I don't like you right now," he crossed his arms and began to pout. It was one of his guilting techniques: he'd act like a five-year-old so that you'd laugh at him. Then he'd smile sadly, like you kicked him. Then you'd feel so bad, you'd give in. It worked really, really well with most of the family, because no one wanted to hurt anyone.

"Aw, Rose! Just take Scorpius. You won't even have to look at him!" Lily said.

Luckily, Rose was not swayed by a bit of acting.

"My answer is no, so please stop asking."

She stood up and directed herself toward the library. Before she left the Great Hall, however, she couldn't help but look back toward Scorpius. He was watching her now, a look of questioning on his face. Rose exited the doors, dread rising up in her throat. Maybe it was because she only glanced briefly at him, or maybe it was because she was walking too fast to really notice, but for a moment, she could have sworn she saw the hint of disappointment on Scorpius's face.

* * *

Rose didn't have any more classes the rest of the day, so she found herself sitting on her four-poster bed, outlining her Charms essay. It wasn't actually due until after break, but she liked Charms more than her other work. Besides, all she had to do was add conclusions to her already-existing essays. She had two more days to complete those. She was fine.

There was a tapping at her window. A snowy white owl was flapping lazily, trying to hover in her line of sight. Rose jumped up and let the beast in. It was a large bird, bigger than most of the owls at Hogwarts. Rose smiled.

"Hello, Heddie." The bird rested on her forearm. Rose was quite familiar with the owl; she was a present to Teddy from her Uncle Harry. Teddy even named her after Uncle Harry's old owl, Hedwig. But Heddie rarely responded to that name anymore.

The owl stuck out her foot, waiting for Rose to detach the message waiting for her.

"I'm sorry I don't have any treats here for you, old girl." The owl hooted and flew out the open window. Rose closed it. Snow was coming down slowly, and Rose wished that Heddie would have at least waited for the precipitation to cease. "Let's see what Vic has to ask now."

Rose tore open the letter, revealing a rather short message on ripped up parchment. Usually, when Vic sent her things, it was a long-winded, three-page ordeal ranting on about linens and flowers and charming her dress to appear whiter than it really was. So many wedding conundrums had ended up in a letter to Rose that this tiny piece of paper made Rose's heart sink. There was no care put into this; something must have been really wrong.

However, when Rose saw the scrawl, she let out a sigh. It was Teddy's handwriting. Therefore, all of the lack of care and concern wasn't something to fear.

Rose's eyes scanned over the words quickly. She read them again. And again. And, by the sixth time, she felt like jumping out her window into the chill evening air.

How dare he write her _this._

Rose sank back onto her bed, her Charms essay forgotten. Her heart felt like a lead weight flopping around unceremoniously inside her chest. Her hand began to crumple the note. Then she threw it to the other side of the room. Then she closed her curtains, curled up, and stared at the midnight blue hangings. Then she sat back up.

There was no need to get like that. There was no need to start going through the motions—the same motions she went through last time, mind you—again. No, siree. She was _not_ going to let this break her.

Rose glanced at the parchment beside her; in her zombie-like shock, she had spilled ink all over her essay. Damn. She ripped her curtains back and ran over to the crumpled note. Picking it up between her forefinger and thumb, Rose tossed it into her trunk. She could deal with that later.

Because now _she_ was determined.

* * *

Scorpius was waiting for Al to sit down. At the moment, he looked like a prairie dog, neck elongated, eyes darting above the rest of the crowd. Scorp yanked on his dress robes.

"Alright, that's it," he forced Al into his seat. "I've had enough of this."

"Scorp, please! If I can just get her to come over, I'm sure I can convince her to—"

"You know," Scorp placed a plate of sausages in front of Al. "At the rate you're going, _I_ almost believe you _do_ want to date me."

Scorpius laughed at the horrorstruck look on Al's face. "You—but—no—wait—that's—wait."

"I know, I know." Scorp added a heap of potatoes to his plate. "This is your way of tricking Ara into dating you."

"It's not tricking!" Al gasped.

"Yes it is."

"No, it's not. It's just a well thought out plan that—"

"Well thought out as in you realized you could do this less than fifteen hours ago," Scorp sighed. "Look, mate, you are terrible with girls. Terrible. And I feel bad for you, but this plan is stupid and not going to work."

When Al didn't retort, Scorp looked over at his friend. There was a devilish gleam in his eyes and a large, toothy grin on his face. He looked like a deranged house elf if Scorpius ever saw one. His own eyes followed to where Al was looking.

A disheveled Rose was approaching them. Fast.

"What did you do?" Scorp hissed through his teeth.

"Don't know yet, but I think it's gonna be good!" Al looked too-pleased.

"Albus. Scorpius." Rose acknowledged them when she arrived at her destination. She hesitated for a moment, her nose scrunching up when looking at Al's face. Scorp elbowed his friend, trying to get him to stop, but the grin just spread more. Rose, finally ignoring him, turned to look at Scorpius. She sat down directly across from him.

Scorp sat up straight. Her eyes were piercing through his soul, or so he felt. Was she trying to burn a hole in his head? Her eyes may have been the color of the ocean, but they were definitely on fire.

"I've changed my mind. Scorpius, you're coming with me to the wedding."

"O-kay…" he whimpered. Where was his suave Malfoy-ness when he needed it?

Rose quickly turned to Al, whose smile had increased ten-fold by her announcement. Scorp was tempted to poke his exposed gums with a chicken leg, thinking it might make the boy stop.

"Albus Potter. You so much as lay a hand on Ara, I'll personally see to it you don't have that hand anymore, clear?"

Al could only nod.

"And also, I'm letting her know about this whole arrangement thing," Rose continued. Finally, Al's smile faltered.

"Wha-why?"

"Because I knew this wasn't _just_ some clever way to hang out with Scorpius," Rose rolled her eyes. "Ara Waters may be in my house, but we're not that close. You're an idiot, Albus, and I'm not letting that poor girl anywhere near you without a warning."

"But I'm your family," he whined.

"And I'm going to have to make gingerbread houses and heart-shaped doilies with him all week," Rose motioned to Scorp with her head. "Ara gets to know why this is happening. Even if that's just a ruse in the first place."

Rose looked between both boys, sizing up their expressions. Scorpius felt his chest tightening again, and for a moment, he felt his heart beat faster. Was he excited to make heart-shaped doilies? He shook it off, pulling his gaze from Rose's.

"Alright then. It's settled," Rose stood. Scorpius watched her as she walked away, her skirt moving with her hips.

When he looked back at Al, Scorp was greeted with yet another Cheshire grin. Al winked.

"What?"

"You know," Al turned to the plate of sausages Scorpius had moved earlier. "I didn't do this for _just_ me."

"Oh really?"

"Oh yes. Naturally, it's mostly for me," Al took a bite of his dinner. "Bu' I'm su' _you_ …" he swallowed. "I'm sure _you_ will get something out of this too."

Scorpius looked toward the Ravenclaw table. Rose was talking with Ara Waters. Her hands were waving around as she explained to the girl Al's plan. The pair of them looked over at Scorp and Al, and Rose caught Scorpius's eye.

He smiled at her and waved one of his hands. She looked much calmer now than she did when she first approached them. Rose waved back, and Scorp felt his chest tighten once again.

Maybe he should visit Madam Pomfrey; this couldn't be a good thing…

"Put your eyes back in your head, Romeo," Al snorted through his food. Scorp rolled his eyes. Then he looked back at Rose. She wasn't turned in his direction anymore, but he could see she was still gesticulating with her arms. Ara Waters was laughing. Rose's red curls bobbed back and forth, and Scorpius tried to imagine what her face was doing. Was she laughing too? Did her nose crinkle and hide away those three freckles?

Scorpius felt his eyes widen. Al's words replayed in his head, steam-rolling through any other thought he might have. _I'm sure you will get something out of this too… Romeo…_ his chest tightening… _Put your eyes back in your head_ … the disappointment when she said no… _Romeo_ … _I didn't do this just for me_ … _Romeo_ …

Well. Shit.


	2. Natural

Rose was banging her head off the wall in her compartment. She was seated with Hugo, Lily, Louis, Ara Waters, Al, and Scorpius. No one talking. No one dared.

It was only awkward because they were acting like this whole thing was the end of the world. That's all. If she could just start up the conversation, things would be okay. It wasn't like there was any animosity between any of them, either. They just didn't know what to say.

But every time Rose tried to say something, her mind kept circling back to the letter hidden inside an old sock at the bottom of her trunk. She was getting nauseous just _thinking_ about it. How could Teddy write that and think it would be okay?

Rose quickly pushed the thought out of her head. She wasn't going to do this. She had made it through two whole days without breaking down, and she wasn't about to lose it now.

Instead, she settled with banging her head off the wall behind her. Besides the roll of the train wheels, her methodic _thump thump_ was the only sound they heard.

"Alright!" Lily finally shrieked, slipping her hand behind Rose's head and stopping the noise once and for all. "That's it! I'm done. Hugo, Louis, we're leaving."

Rose watched as the three fifth-years left. She could have sworn her brother muttered idiots under his breath before he exited the compartment.

"This _is_ ridiculous," Scorpius finally said. He was to Rose's left, separated by his rucksack. "We're all basically adults. We all agreed to this. Can't we have fun with it?"

"Fun?" Ara asked, genuinely curious. She was a petite, oriental girl. Her mother was the famous Quidditch player Cho Chang while her father was a Muggle. He worked in an auto body shop, fixing large trucks. Rose and Ara were friends, but not inseparable like Al and Scorp had become during their time at Hogwarts. Rose could see herself meeting up with Ara down the road, catching up over coffee once every two years. She was content with that.

Unless, of course, it actually worked with Albus. Then Rose would be related to Ara, and their friendship would have to turn into play dates for the kids and complaining over a bottle of Riesling.

Either way, Rose was content with that.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe we could try to enjoy this wedding business," Scorpius replied. Rose couldn't help but smile. He clearly didn't have a clue how to make it "fun." But he was trying, and Rose appreciated that. "We're going to be making gingerbread houses… that's fun."

Al snorted.

"And didn't you say something about doilies?" Scorpius smirked at Rose. She held his gaze for a second, getting lost in his emerald eyes.

"They'll be heart-shaped if Vic can help it," Rose told the room.

"Excellent," Scorp smiled. "I don't think I have any heart-shaped ones in my collection."

Rose laughed as Scorpius wiggled his eyebrows. "Oh yes. Your collection. Probably right next to your tea set and home-made jammie dodgers recipe."

"How'd you know?" Scorpius feigned shock, which made Rose laugh harder. Ara and Al were laughing too, although Rose couldn't help but notice her cousin staring right at her. Slowly, he winked at her, and she stopped laughing and began coughing.

"Whoa, you okay there, Rose?" Scorpius had a hand on her wrist, while she coughed into her other arm. When she finally stopped choking on her own air, she looked down at her hand, which was still held by Scorpius.

Why was it that every single time they touched she felt little pulses coming from the source of contact? It happened in Potions all the time. Anytime they reached for the same ingredient or brushed each other accidentally, there they were. Miniature heart beats. Currents being sent from Scorpius to her.

Rose slid her hand away from his and into her hair. "I'm good. I guess I took in too much air or something."

After that, the four were able to speak easier.

"What did you tell your parents?" Al asked about an hour out from King's Cross Station.

"What do you mean?" Rose countered.

"You're bringing a Malfoy home."

"Yeah," Rose locked her eyes with Scorpius. He was smirking again. She decided it was a good look for him. "And you bring a Malfoy home all the time."

"But your dad. Both of your dads."

"Dad's met Scorpius before," Rose said. "And when I wrote them a letter about the whole thing, they said it was fine."

"They? Or your mother?" Al asked.

Rose knew where his concerns were coming from, but she knew better. Her father—bless him—hated Scorpius's dad. That wasn't changing anytime soon. But Al brought the Malfoy kid home almost every summer, and Ron Weasley was okay. He got over the initial shock of it, but he was okay. In fact, during some of the annual Weasley Quidditch matches, Rose's dad preferred having Scorpius on his team.

Rose heard him tell her mum that he felt sorry for the boy. He knew what it was like growing up and being attached to a name, and he felt guilty himself for adding to that hate toward Scorpius Malfoy.

The only thing Rose—and Scorpius, for that matter—had to worry about was the word "date." That was the thing that changed everything. It didn't matter if the boy was Malfoy, Longbottom, Lovegood, or even Merlin's offspring himself, he would always be a _boy_ and Rose would always be too good for him.

It was annoying, really, but she could survive it.

It wasn't like Scorpius was a _real_ date anyways.

"Relax, Albus," she smiled. "It'll be fine."

* * *

"Malfoy?" Mr. Weasley was attempting to whisper, but he was failing. "Are you serious, Rose?"

"Dad, it's not that big of a—"

"It most certainly is a big deal!" So much for subtle. Mrs. Weasley flinched, clearly torn between quieting her husband and making Scorpius comfortable.

"Just be glad he's doing this in public," Hugo whispered to Scorp. "If it were at home, they'd both be yelling something awful."

"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched," Mrs. Weasley mumbled, eyeing her family.

"Dad, please! You're insulting him." Rose again. Scorp smiled at her defending him. Was he insulted? Of course not. But he liked that she thought it did.

Merlin, everything she did, he liked. It was as if Albus's stupid remark was the catalyst needed to see how brilliant Rose Weasley could be. After that dinner, when she came over and said she'd go through with Al's plan, Scorp saw her everywhere. There were these blue stained glass windows in the bathroom that reminded him of her eyes. There was this painting of a redheaded archer he couldn't stop staring at on the third floor. He even watched her all throughout their Potions test the day before.

She would put the quill in her mouth when she was thinking. The feather tip was damp by the time the period ended. She would tap it on her nose when she got an answer right, too, and would flinch each time the wetness touched those three adorable freckles on her face.

Yeah. He had it bad. He hadn't fancied anyone like this in years. His last (and only) girlfriend was Gwen Finnegan and that lasted about three weeks in his fifth year. Sure, Scorp had kissed girls here and there, some drunkenly after a Quidditch victory, others seeing if there was anything there, but he never really bothered much.

But Rose. Yeah. She was something else, and Scorp didn't even know it. Al saw it in him first, and the blond resented that.

"Rosie, I'd be okay with any boy, really. But a Malfoy? I'm—I can't handle this," Mr. Weasley tried to reason.

"Dad, you _know_ Scorpius. He's friends with Al, _and_ he's your go-to Chaser when we play Quidditch!" Rose's hair was shaking around violently. "It's _just_ for the wedding. We're _just_ friends. Can't you be nice for _just_ two weeks?"

Ah, right. Just friends. Just two weeks. He was here _just_ for the wedding.

Scorpius really hated that word— _just_.

"Well, I think we've waited long enough," Mrs. Weasley walked over to the arguing pair. She started scolding both of them much quieter than before so that Scorp couldn't hear a thing.

"I like you," Hugo said, hoisting his trunk onto his shoulder. "If Rose is going with anyone, I'd almost rather it be you."

"You mean to the wedding?" Scorpius asked. Where else would he be going?

Hugo smiled. "Not just the wedding. Al told me." Scorp felt his face heating up. "Calm down. I take secrets to the grave."

"You've had experience with that already?" Scorp teased.

"Har, har." Hugo grabbed at his owl's cage. "I _will_ take secrets to the grave. Happy, grammar guru?"

"I don't think that was a grammar issue."

"Keep pushing it, Malfoy." Hugo began walking away. "I might let this secret slip."

* * *

The Ron-and-Hermione Weasley home was quaint. It wasn't nestled in some remote place where only wizards could go; it was smack in the heart of Muggle territory. Rose explained to Scorpius that it meant a lot to her mum to be near her Muggle parents, and her dad had no issue assimilating.

Scorpius was currently seated in the guest bedroom, where he'd be staying for three days until they left for the destination wedding on Christmas Eve. He didn't want to unpack and then repack, so he decided to live out of his trunk for a few days.

Rose told him to come downstairs when he was settled in, so he retraced his steps to the stairs, the front landing, and finally into the kitchen, where Mr. Weasley was preparing a quick dinner.

"Uh, hello." Wow. Could he be any more awkward?

"Hello, Scorpius." Mr. Weasley nodded back. He was pushing some cut up onions into a frying pan while a knife was magically cutting up sausage slices.

"Need any help?" Scorp offered.

"'T's alright," the tall redheaded man said. He and Rose were extremely similar in appearance: the red hair, the blue eyes, the freckles. The only difference was height. Rose took after her mum's smaller frame, while Mr. Weasley was a giant. Or so Scorp felt, anyways.

"So," Mr. Weasley started again. "I owe you an apology."

Scorpius watched as Mr. Weasley looked toward another door. Scorp had a strong feeling Mrs. Weasley was behind it.

"I overreacted. I do that," he cleared his throat, not sure what to say.

"It's okay," Scorpius sighed. "I get that a lot, actually. I'm used to it, so it's ok—"

"No." Mr. Weasley paused in his movements. "No it's not. And you shouldn't ever let it be, you hear me?"

Scorp could only nod.

"My biggest concern," Mr. Weasley went on, "is that you are a boy. A _teenage_ boy. And my daughter is still this big to me." The grown man held his arms like he was holding a baby. "I know teenage boys. I was one, and I was not a model citizen all the time." His eyes looked back at the door from before, only this time they lit up.

Scorp cleared his throat, pulling Mr. Weasley back to reality.

"Anyways, Rose doesn't _do_ this. At all. She doesn't date. She doesn't bring boys home. It's just—weird for me."

There was that word again. Just. Scorpius smiled as innocently as he could. "If it helps, I was planning to hang around Al mostly. And Rose was gonna meet up with Al's date, Ara."

Mr. Weasley visibly relaxed.

Not knowing what to do now, Scorpius continued to watch as Mr. Weasley fried up dinner. After a couple of minutes, neither of them could take the awkward silence much longer. Both spoke simultaneously.

"Do you know where Rose—"

"Rose is still up—"

They smiled.

"Is?" Scorpius finished sheepishly.

"Upstairs. Third door on the left. Leave it open," he said, turning away.

If Al hadn't been worried about Mr. Weasley's reaction, Scorp felt like he wouldn't have been either. He felt comfortable around Al's family, so he assumed he would be comfortable around Rose's. The problem was that Scorp hadn't actually ever been alone with Mr. Weasley before. Sure, Ron was at all the family gatherings Scorp attended with Al, but the two were never left alone.

The apology was still running through his head. Mr. Weasley looked so adamant about not accepting peoples' prejudices against him. Scorpius had dealt with really horrible people all his life. He was fully aware of the weight of his surname, and he was fine with how some people reacted. That was life. His own father would grin and bear it, so why shouldn't he? It never really occurred to Scorp that he could—and possibly should—get angry about it. But what would that solve anyways?

Scorp shook his head, ascending the stairs to Rose's room. She was sitting on her bed, her back turned to him, reading off of a note. His heart skipped as he looked around her bedroom. It was yellow. There were raven figurines everywhere, along with fake roses and rose-shaped memorabilia. Scorp figured that her multitude of family members liked getting her things that reminded them of her name.

She sighed. And Scorpius felt his chest tighten again, this time butterflies appearing in his stomach. He was in her _bedroom_. He was in her bedroom _and_ he was starting to really fancy her.

He cursed Al for ever bringing these feelings up inside of him.

* * *

Rose turned around. Scorpius stood in the middle of the doorway, staring at her with his emerald eyes.

"Knock, knock," he smiled. Rose slipped her letter into her jean pocket and stood. "Everything good?"

"Yeah… why?" Rose felt her nose scrunch up. Scorpius's eyes watched closely, causing Rose to rub at her nose instead.

"Don't know, you look worried is all," he plopped down on her bed. "Nice roses, by the way."

"Ugh, don't remind me," she glanced around at the various knick-knacks she hated but couldn't get rid of because she'd feel guilty. "Everyone thinks they're so clever. 'A rose for Rose!' Lily gets it too. It's maddening."

"Thought so," Scorpius smirked, putting his arms behind his head. "And the ravens?"

"Ravenclaw?" Her nose scrunched again. This time Scorpius's eyes twinkled. "What?"

"You do that a lot."

"Do what?"

"You know. It's actually adorable."

Her nose scrunched up at the comment, and Scorpius began laughing. Adorable? _Her_? And on top of that, _he_ thinks so?

Why did this matter to her so much?

"Whatever," she smiled, sitting herself beside his sprawled out form. "You look comfortable."

"You said make yourself at home," he winked.

"You're impossible," she slapped his stomach lightly.

Again, she felt her hand pulse at the contact. The sensation didn't stop, either, when she pulled her fingers away.

"How'd you think you did on your Potions test?" Scorp's eyes were closed now, which allowed Rose to look him over. He looked peaceful. He was lean, but she knew he had muscle. Hell, she'd seen him every summer when they would go to the lake at the Burrow, and he'd strip down to his swim trunks.

For a moment, she couldn't believe that Scorpius Malfoy was in her house. In her _bedroom_. She probably had one conversation per week with him, and it was during Potions. And only when they worked with a partner.

And yet, it was so easy to talk to him. On the train, once everyone was over the initial weirdness. On the platform, waiting for her parents. Even in the car, they talked at length about Puddlemere's chances this season.

And here. In her bedroom. They were talking like friends.

"I think I did fine, but I really don't want to think too much about school," she said.

"That's fine by me," Scorpius smiled, eyes still closed. "Thanks, by the way, for defending me."

"When?"

"On the platform. To your dad. He talked to me about it downsta—"

"What!?" Scorpius shot up at her sudden squeaky voice. "What did he say?"

"He said sorry," Scorpius began. Rose held her breath, and she could see it in Scorpius's eyes that she was scaring him. "Are you okay?"

Her dad said sorry. To a Malfoy. Rose knew her father would be understanding, but she never expected him to repent for his behavior. "What else did he say, Scorpius?"

"He said he overreacted, that he shouldn't judge me by my name," he was still watching her intently. "I told him I'm used to it, and he told me that I shouldn't let people do that—treat me badly for being me."

"He said that?" Rose whispered. When Scorpius nodded, she found her voice again. "He's absolutely right, you know."

"Rose, I've dealt with it my whole life—"

"And that makes it okay?" She was lucky her family had always been good. Something about the way Scorpius just accepted the bad didn't sit right with her at all.

"Well, no," he continued, "but when it's a constant, when it's everyday your father steps out of the house, you start to get a tough skin about it. That's all."

"Scorpius—"

"No, please, let me explain it," he had taken her hand again, and Rose found that concentrating on his words was getting a bit harder. She made herself hear, nonetheless, but the little electric zaps coming from the contact of his hand were extremely distracting. "I never really questioned it. I never really fought it. All because I know it won't do anything. Yeah, it bothers me sometimes, but mostly I start laughing now. Did you know Al used to call me pureblood trash?"

"What?!" She squeaked out.

Scorpius nodded. "First year. And part of second too, although by then it became more of a joke. He didn't always like me. I made him like me."

She laughed at his mischievous grin. "How?"

"Do you remember those cold chili balloons Peeves got his hands on second year?"

Boy, did she. There was meat sauce all over the castle. All over professors and students. Even some of the paintings took a hit. Rose had helped Gloria the Galant clean up her oil pastel home from the red beaned and spicy mess.

"You were behind that?"

"I was proud at the time, until Peeves turned against both Al and me and doused us with enough chili I'm still pulling it out of my hair," Scorpius laughed.

"Yeah, sure."

"No, really," he took her hand, which he still had in his, and placed it in his hair, "see for yourself."

Rose shifted on the bed so that her knees were tucked under her. She knew this was ridiculous, but she was going to play along. His hair was soft, silky, and she couldn't help but notice her heart beating like a metronome. Slowly, she brought up her other hand to sift through his hair. She weaved her fingers through it, tsking at her lack of findings.

"I don't believe you at all," she teased. She looked to his face and realized he was right there. Centimeters away. He shivered, and Rose froze. This was intimate; extremely intimate. Too intimate, because they weren't even that good of friends. Right?

She pulled her hands away, resting them in her lap. "Sorry, Scorpius."

He smiled at her again, but his eyes didn't light up like she expected them to. "Please, don't worry about it."

"Dinner!"

"Looks like we're needed elsewhere," he jumped off her bed, leaving her there. She felt his absence immediately, and along with it, the tiniest bit of disappointment. "Come on then."

He offered her his hand, and eagerly she took it. She wanted the disappointing feeling to go away, and just seeing his outstretched hand made her relax.

"Thanks." She stood a head shorter than him.

"No problem, Rose." He started heading toward the door, then turned back quickly. "You know, you can call me Scorp like everyone else."

She blushed, embarrassed by the statement. Only his close friends called him that, and she didn't want to cross any line between them.

But she was being ridiculous anyways, because he was at her house and he was her date for the next two weeks.

"Right. Sorry, Scorpius," she began. But he looked right at her again, and she felt like her heart was bursting. "Sorry! Scorp. You are Scorp."

They both started laughing, and Rose couldn't help but smile brighter. It just felt so natural: Scorp.

* * *

They were hustling to get to their portkey on time. Living in a Muggle neighborhood meant that the nearest portkey location was thirty miles away. Scorpius was waiting by the front door while the Weasley's ran around grabbing this and that for last minute needs.

Rose stopped in front of him. "How are you ready?"

"I pack lightly?"

"I'm envious," she darted off toward the stairs as one of her parents yelled her name. Hugo was jumping down the stairs, three at a time, and Scorpius watched as they rammed right into each other.

Next thing he knew, he was holding them both back at arm's length as the siblings continued to fling insult after insult at each other.

"If you weren't such a clumsy prat, everything would've been fine!"

"Maybe if you opened your big stupid eyes once in a while, we wouldn't have these issues!"

It was like being with the Potters, only there were two Weasleys. Usually, by this point, James or Lily would have jumped on the most vulnerable sibling, and Scorpius wouldn't have enough arms to stop them.

"Oi!" Mr. Weasley was at the top of the stairs. "You will stop this _now_ or I'm getting you both aeroplane tickets!"

That shut them both up. Hugo ran back upstairs to get his things, Mr. Weasley disappeared into his bedroom, and Scorpius still had a hand on Rose's shoulder. She was flushed, her hair wild, her eyes on fire.

She laughed nervously, and Scorpius couldn't help but smile.

"Now you know just how dumb we can be," she shrugged. She used that word again. That bloody _just_. "Anyways, I guess they don't need me anymore."

Rose was embarrassed by her outburst, and Scorp was dying to kiss her. Instead he dropped his arm. "You act like I've never seen a famous Potter-Sibling-Row before."

She laughed along with him, then slid around him to head upstairs.

It had only been three days inside the Ron-and-Hermione Weasley house, yet Scorp had fallen into routine. He woke with the crack of dawn, helped Mrs. Weasley with the coffee, and spent another few hours on school work. Rose would be up after that, and he'd spend the day with her and Hugo. The day before, Rose had taken him for a tour of the neighborhood.

" _It's freezing," Scorp said. "It's worse than Hogwarts."_

" _Oh, it's not that bad!" She had hit him lightly on the shoulder, which caused her to avert her eyes quickly. He liked it; it made his own feelings seem justified, like he wasn't the only one experiencing this newfound fancy for someone he knew very little of._

 _Of course, that was changing too. They had spent two and a half days already with each other, and only each other, because Hugo_ knew _and because Hugo knew, he kept leaving them to it._

 _Scorp didn't know whether to strangle him or kiss him._

 _Because now he knew so much about Rose Weasley, and it only made him like her more. Her favorite color was green, she adored the Holyhead Harpies, she liked green bell peppers but not red, she wanted to work in the curse breaking department of the Ministry once she left Hogwarts, she used to want to be a Healer but Potions held her back (though he knew that already), she loved Charms. There was more, too. Lots more. She was embarrassed by the sheer size of her family. She wished she was less likely to argue for less work in class. Rose hated anything rose colored. She smelled like vanilla, she chewed her lips when thinking, she constantly had ink smudges on her left hand from writing._

 _She was a lot of things, and Scorpius wanted more._

" _It's colder for those of us without gloves," he finally replied._

" _What?" her blue eyes looked down. "You should've told me!"_

 _Her gloved hands quickly wrapped around his bare one. The other was tucked neatly in his pocket._

 _They walked like that for a log while—holding hands. And they talked like nothing was wrong. Nothing was different. But Scorpius thought his insides were going to explode at any minute. In just a few short days, he was consumed by her._

Rose came barreling down the stairs, her trunk in tow, and her winter gear on.

"That's it," she cried, "I'm done!"

"Congratulations," Scorpius laughed. "You're grand prize is a week trip to Paris."

"Oh, how romantic," Rose crooned. "I can't wait to fill up that doily collection of yours, Scor."

They were both laughing now. Scorpius's ears perked up at the sound of his name. _Scor_. Not Scorp, but Scor. He liked how natural it sounded, coming from her.


	3. Foot in Mouth, Hand on Heart

Weasleys. Weasleys everywhere. They had arrived at their hotel, settled into the three bedroom suite—Scor and Hugo were to share a room. Rose's dad kept repeating that louder and louder until her mum told him to shut it—and they were ushered into the banquet hall for Christmas Eve dinner.

And there were Weasleys. Weasleys everywhere.

Rose had already hugged her Uncle George and Aunt Angelina. Roxanne and her date—Connor Wood—were nowhere to be found. And little Fred was ducking in and out from underneath the extravagant tables. That was one family down, and only three billion, two hundred, forty-seven to go.

"I feel like I'm in the Red Sea," Scor said from beside her. When they first entered the room, he had instinctively stepped closer to her, as if she could protect him from the onslaught that was her ginormous family.

"It's not actually red, you know. It's still just a sea," Rose said.

"Metaphorically, then."

"Right. The Weasleys: Metaphorical Red Sea. We should have that anagrammed onto our bath towels."

"Cheeky," he smiled down at her.

"Thank you."

She was exaggerating, of course. She knew it. And she only felt a wee bit guilty about her resentment. Because this was family after all, _her_ family, and no matter where in life she might be, she'd always have them.

"You know," Rose started to make her way toward the next group to greet, "you see all of these same people every summer at the Burrow."

"True, but not all in one room," Scorpius replied.

Rose felt like a dog whisperer, and Scor was her beagle attached to her heels.

Hmm. Maybe not a beagle…

But whatever dog he was like, he was there. It made Rose smile to herself. Just Scorpius's presence alone made the room feel less crowded. More bearable.

He placed a hand on her lower back so as not to lose her in the crowd, and instantly Rose felt like melting into the floor. Could he possibly have a taser hidden up in his sleeve? Was he made of electrical wires? Every damn time he touched her, instant internal mess.

Rose would not breach the subject with herself. Not at all.

Her eyes, instead, helped her to focus on the task at hand: greet the bride, acknowledge the groom existed, and find her table.

"Vic!" Rose waved. Her cousin was hugging a balding, short man Rose didn't recognize. It must have been the one Delacour invited. Once he moved away, Vic beamed at her.

"Rosie! I am just _so_ happy that you're here!" Like Rose had a choice. But Vic wrapped her perfect arms around Rose anyways, and Rose took in the overly powerful scent of lilac. "And who is this handsome thing?"

Vic was hugging Scor now, without any hesitation, because of course Vic knew it was him. And of course she would compliment him. And hug him. And place a kiss on each cheek. There was absolutely no reason for any of these _obvious and formal normalities_ to make Rose's chest constrict and her mouth to dry out.

Yeah. Rose would have to have that "feelings" conversation with herself later.

"I didn't know that you two were…" Vic looked between the two of them with a devilish smile.

"No we're not…"

"He's just my…"

Scor and Rose stopped and looked at each other. She could tell he was letting her explain, so Rose turned to Vic, her own mouth open and ready to say "just friends."

But then Teddy was there. Teddy, who had been talking with that short-and-bald Delacour. Teddy, who sent her that note. Teddy stinkin' Lupin.

"Yes. Scor is my date for the next two weeks," Rose quickly laced her fingers through Scorpius's own hand. She felt him grip her hand back hard.

Oops.

"Date?" Teddy asked. His purple eyes caught hers, and Rose wanted to vomit, cry, slap him, and possibly die all at once.

But instead, she kept talking. "Yes. My date. For the next two weeks. And for longer. Possibly forever. Who knows how these things really go. Maybe Scor is my date for life."

Did Scorpius's palm get suddenly sweaty… or was that Rose's?

"Or not for life. Again, who knows," she sputtered on. She couldn't even look at Scorpius; she could barely pull her eyes away from the face Teddy was making. Definitely confusion, mostly disgust. A hint of jealousy? No, of course not. "We… we're just going to be over here, if anyone should need us."

Rose pushed Scorpius in front of her, Quickly her eyes scanned the crowd until she found a secluded corner, where a lonely table awaited them.

"Aren't the seats assigned?" Scor asked as she plopped down into a chair.

"Who cares?" her voice was muffled. Probably because she had buried her face into her hands, and her hair was acting like a blasted curtain again, surrounding her head in a whole new sea of red.

"So, wanna tell me what just happened, or?" Scor slid into the seat next to her.

Instead of answering him, Rose looked down between them. "Hello, Foot. Meet Mouth." Then she looked into Scor's beautiful green eyes. "I do not want to talk about it. At least, not here."

"Okay" was all he said. And that was that.

* * *

There was something wrong with this family, Scorpius decided. Something off, at least. And it all started right after Victoire and Teddy got engaged.

Al refused to tell him anything, and, although distantly related, Teddy was not going to tell him either. But Scorpius would never ask Teddy anyways. His own parents really didn't talk to their families unless necessary.

Which meant as little as possible.

Rose. She was definitely hiding something. And not well. Date for life? The hand holding? Her face alone gave her away. Teddy had turned to them and suddenly she was blank. No more jumpy, lively, gorgeous Rose Weasley (though that last part wasn't exactly true. She was always gorgeous, wasn't she?). But instead of her normal self, Teddy made her sink inward.

All throughout dinner—they were forced back to their assigned table—she picked at her food, made polite conversation, and refused to look at him. The promise of hearing more later was the only thing getting him through any of it without exploding.

"Where's Albus?" Scorpius asked as their final dessert plates were cleared.

"I'm not sure," Rose glanced around. "Mum, where are the Potters?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded toward a table. "They put Harry and the lot with your Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur. You know, the immediate family table."

Rose and Scorpius both peered over toward said table. In addition to the bride's parents and the groom's honorary parents were Dominique, Louis, Al, Lily, and James. A shy Ara Waters was beside Al, and a lean blonde was beside James.

"James has a date?"

"Apparently," Rose answered. "Hu, who's James's date?"

"Huh?" Hugo was currently debating Quidditch tactics with Connor Wood. "Why would I know?"

"I think it's Yana McLaggen," Roxanne said. "She graduated two years ago. Works in the Ministry with her dad."

"McLaggen?" Mr. Weasley—Rose's dad—said. "Good luck, James."

"He'll need it," Scorpius heard Rose's mum mutter under her breath.

"Anyways," Scorpius turned back to Rose. "Should we try to catch up with Al and Ara later?"

"Maybe…" Rose scrunched up her nose. "Yes. But, later."

Soon they were dismissed and allowed to mingle with the other guests. Rose had instantly grabbed Scorpius's hand and began leading him to the exit.

"Not so fast."

Upon turning, Scorpius discovered Al and Ara standing there. The former looking peeved. The latter looking like she regretted ever saying yes to this whole plan.

"Where were you two before the dinner started? I found Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. Then I found Hugo. I even found Roxanne in a dark corner with a leech on her neck!"

"I think he means Connor Wood…" Ara attempted to diffuse the Albus-Bomb. Scorpius took pity on her almost instantly.

"Potato, potatoe. Point is, I didn't find _you_."

"We were talking at another table. We read the nametags wrong, or something," Rose crossed her arms.

"You read the nametags wrong?" Al was incredulous to say the least. Twat. Couldn't leave well enough alone.

"You'd be surprised, mate," Scorpius tried. "It's kinda funny, really. I've been her Potions partner for seven years. You'd be surprised how many labels we've misread over the years."

Could that have been anymore lame? Scorpius chanced a glance at Rose, and she was smiling ear to ear.

"It's true," she continued. "It's usually me, though. Scor's being a bit generous saying 'we.'"

"Scor?" Al stared into Scorpius's face, smiling like a lunatic, and for a moment, Scorpius worried that he'd have to punch his best friend in the face in order to keep him quiet. "You remember the deal we made, right? The plan?"

"Yes, Albus. _We_ know the plan that _you_ came up with. It's why we're all here," Rose said very slowly. Scorpius had to hold in his laughter. "But right now, I need to show Scorpius something, so you can wait another fifteen minutes before starting your little Parisian playdate."

Scorpius. So she too had noticed Al's smile.

"And, Ara," Rose continued, "I'm terribly sorry for this prat you're stuck with. I will rescue you shortly, I promise."

"Oh, it's alright," Ara said. But Scorpius heard the hope in her voice.

Rose began to stalk out of the room again, but Al never was one to quit. "I thought the four of us could go swimming or something. There's a ginormous indoor pool here. I wasn't deliberately leaving Ara out. I quite like her company, Rosie!"

"Then enjoy it some more!" Rose shouted over her shoulder.

"Guess we'll meet you in the pool?" Scorpius turned on his own heel and followed the bushy haired Weasley back up to her family's suite in silence.

* * *

Twelve minutes had passed, and all Rose had mustered to say was "let's talk in my room, yeah?"

 _Smooth._ But she was only acting like this because everything was so unbelievably complicated. _Life_ was just unbelievably complicated!

Scor was standing in the open doorway. Rose was sitting on the edge of her bed. No one was back. Yet. And the clock was ticking. He _deserved_ an explanation. She knew that. She acted like a total nutter and called him her date for life. What even was that? Why was he still standing there anyway? Clearly she was off her rocker.

"Close the door," she commanded. When the latch clicked shut, she threw herself backward onto the bed.

"Is this—is this some weird way of seducing me?"

Rose sprang up. "Oh, Merlin! No!"

Scorpius's laughter only made her breathe easier. "Teasing. Now what's going on?"

"Al didn't tell you anything, huh?"

"Of what?"

"Sit." Rose motioned for Scorpius to sit beside her on the bed. When he did, the mattress sunk so that his legs immediately rested alongside hers. Somehow, this made everything easier. So, Rose just started talking.

"Right after Teddy and Vic got engaged, something bad happened. Something very nearly scandalous in our family. And no one talks about it. Even mentioning it brings up bad blood, because everyone is split on the matter."

"Okay?" Oh why did he have to look so cute when he was confused?

"Anyways, Vic and Teddy got engaged. And we had a party to celebrate. Because that's what we do; we through a party for every little thing. Reminds Grandma Weasley of happy things. Anyways… Well, things are going really well. Too well, apparently, because we all heard a shriek from upstairs—this was at the Burrow, sorry I didn't say it before—and, anyways, there was this shriek. And we all rush upstairs to find Vic crying on the floor and Teddy and Dom just standing there."

"So… what happened?" Scor leaned in closer to her. Rose tried to suppress a blush, but his thigh was touching her thigh and for the first time she felt like she actually understood magic. Everything before that must have been parlor tricks and illusions, because, my Merlin, the feeling of being this close to him.

"Um, you want Vic's side or Dom's?"

"Either?"

"Well, according to Vic, she walked in on Teddy and Dom kissing. Passionately kissing. Like, Dom was already out of her shirt."

"What?!" Scorpius almost fell off the bed, the way he jerked backward. Rose caught his flailing arms, pulling him to her, until they collided and tumbled off the other side. And now they were just a mess of limbs on the floor.

And Rose felt like her brain was imploding. Because here Scor was, on top of her, and all the things she refused to acknowledge surfaced and she fancied him and it was marvelous and this next part was going to be so crappy. Because he was getting off of her and apologizing, and she still hadn't told him her darkest secret.

"It's okay, relax," Rose laughed it off. She plopped back on to the bed, this time facing Scor. "Would you like to hear the rest?"

Scorpius positioned himself so that he was staring right into her eyes. "Sure."

"Dom's side was quite different. Dom… She had gone upstairs because of a headache. Grandma Weasley was out of Pepperup Potion, so Dom wanted to take a nap. Teddy, well, apparently he approached her and had this really long heart-to-heart about being nervous and scared and Dom listened. Then he kissed her, and he wouldn't stop, and Dom was too in shock to stop until Vic walked in."

"So…" Scorpius prompted.

"So, the family is torn on who to believe. A lot of the cousins say Vic is going through with the wedding to spite Dom. Just to prove that she won," Rose sighed. "It's a mess."

"What do you believe?"

"Me?" Rose knew this was coming, but that didn't prepare her for it actually happening. "I _know_ for a fact that Dom is telling the truth. I also know for a fact that Vic is marrying Teddy because she loves him and not because she feels like she has to prove anything to anyone."

"How do you know that, though?"

"Easy," Rose smiled sadly. "Victiore is kind. She's generous. And she's been in love with Teddy Lupin since she discovered boys existed in this world."

Scorpius looked hesitant, but Rose knew he was going to ask anyways. "And, and the Dom side of things?"

She slid off the bed, opened her trunk, pulled out her dirty sock, and produced that god-awful note.

"This."

She handed it to him. Scorpius read aloud. "'R—don't bring it up during the wedding—T.' Is T—"

"Teddy? Yes."

"And the thing you shouldn't bring up is the kiss?"

"Well," she sank back down. "Not exactly."

"Not exactly, meaning?"

"Scor, what I'm about to tell you is confidential. Swear you won't repeat it. Not to Al, not to Teddy, not to Vic. No one."

"I'm starting to get really concerned now."

"Scorpius." When did she become so whiney?

"You know," he smiled, "you have the same puppy dog pout as Albus. Except I think yours is actually working on me. Unlike him."

Rose laughed and suddenly it was okay that this was finally happening. That she was finally telling someone. "Three years ago I kissed Teddy."

Now there was real silence. At least no one fell off the bed. But Rose felt like curling up anyways and rolling far away from Scorpius freakin' Malfoy. What was she doing?

And yet. Her lips wouldn't stop. "It was New Years, and he was drunk, and I was fourteen, and some older, cuter guy was into me. And I had never been kissed, so it was definitely something exciting for me. And it was just a peck. Then it was more. It was more until his hand was up my shirt and I stopped it and then he wouldn't stop apologizing until Vic called him over and..."

She took a big breath. "And neither one of us acknowledged it again. And neither one of us said a word to the other until that bloody note he sent me! And I'm furious. And I feel sick to my stomach," when had she started pacing? "There's a reason I never wanted to date anyone. I just felt so damn dirty after that. Because he was with Vic and Vic was family and I was somehow at fault. I know now that I wasn't, because I was fourteen years old and he was well beyond legal at that point.

"And that is how I know Dom is telling the truth. Because it's _so_ like Teddy to do this kind of thing. Panic about his relationship, reach out to other girls, then regret it instantly." Rose inhaled sharply, her brain unclouding, and her heart coming to a dead stop. Had she really forgotten who she was talking to? "Oh, my, great… Scorpius, I'm so sorry, I just—"

"Stop," he grabbed her hand. "Stop being 'just' anything. Don't you dare be sorry either."

Then he was hugging Rose.

Merlin, help her.

* * *

"I don't know why I told you any of this," Rose muttered. They were on a lift heading down to the ground floor where Al and Ara must have been waiting by the pool. Scorpius felt like his entire stomach was reeling. Maybe from the lift. Maybe from Rose's story. "I mean, I could've stopped with the Dom story, and you would have understood, right? I mean, I don't know what I mean. The Dom part of that story could have explained my foot-in-mouth episode from earlier, right?"

He looked at her then, really looked. She was still Rose. She clearly had grown from the… event she disclosed, and she was definitely living a different life now. But she'd never recounted to anyone those events. No one. Except him. "It could have. But honestly," he should really take her hand in his. That would be the right thing to do. Naturally, he didn't, "I'm glad that you told me."

"Really? The stranger who brought you to her cousin's destination wedding told you her most embarrassing secret on day one of fourteen, and you're glad." Then Rose laughed. "Maybe you are what all the girls think."

Scorpius felt his ears heat up. "What?"

"Never mind." Was she hiding behind her hair deliberately now?

"No, no. You have to spill that now."

"Don't you think I've spilled enough tonight?" She placed a hand on her hip. Teasing him.

Scorpius could only smile. "Okay. Fine. I _am_ glad you told me. Truly. Because, one, I would call us more than strangers at this point. Maybe, and dare I say it, _friends_. Two, this week is going to be much smoother now that I can play along with your foot-in-mouth shenanigans—remember, we're dates for life—and finally, it's good that you aren't holding that in anymore.

"Now," he paused, "what do the girls think of me?"

"You think saying nice things will make me say them back?"

"I meant what I've said. I don't care if they're nice or not, Rose."

"Okay, Scor, I'll spill all the dirty secrets I know then," she smiled. The bell on the lift _dinged_ and they exited through the door. "The girls at school think you are oh-so dreamy. You play Quidditch, you are definitely smart, _and_ you're really sweet. You have that 'bad boy' thing going for you because of Slytherin, and you are _quite_ attractive..."

Rose was still talking, but all Scorpius could hear was the phrase "quite attractive" playing over and over again.

Merlin, how could only three days land him in this colossal teenage-hormone-pool of never-ending butterflies? He was falling hard and fast for one Rose Weasley, and she was probably laughing on the outside so as not to think about what was happening on the inside. At least, Scorpius could hope.

And no wonder Al was always saying Vic and Teddy were a bad match. Every single conversation Scorpius had had with Albus, or any other Weasley-Potter for that matter, about the wedding involved some form of "this shouldn't be happening" or "this can't be reality anymore." Scorpius never thought on it, though, and why should have he? He didn't know anything.

And now he knew everything and then some.

There was a small tug of jealousy each time he thought about older, attractive Teddy kissing Rose. But that was the past and Rose should talk about the whole thing more. Because Scorpius saw the physical relief she felt admitting it. Maybe later, after swimming or over breakfast the next day, Scorpius would talk to Rose. Because it really did matter that she was okay.

And he really had meant it that he was going to act like her life-date for the rest of their time there.

"…anyway, here we are." Rose had her hand on the door which would lead to the pool. "Remember. Not a word."

"Rose, I promised. Cross my heart." And to prove his honesty, Scorpius placed his right hand over his heart.

Rose smiled up him, and for a brief moment she looked like she was about to kiss him. But instead her ocean-blue eyes closed. "Thanks."


	4. A Wedding

"No! No more! I can't take this!" Al waved his hands around frantically trying to shake off the attached pieces of construction paper. Today they were making thank you cards out of buttons and paper and strings and stickers. And no magic was allowed, whatsoever. "The wedding is _tomorrow_ and we're still doing these brainless activities. Nope, I quit."

"Oh, Al, it's really not that bad," Ara nudged him with her shoulder. Rose exchanged a glance with Scorpius. Nine days had passed since they arrived. Christmas had come and gone, and with its absence came shy flirtations and subtle touching between one Albus Potter and one Ara Waters.

" _I can't believe his stupid plan is actually working in his favor," Scorpius had said only two nights before to Rose just before bed. They had fallen into a routine that week. Wake up, eat, join the wedding party for countless amounts of activities—biking, a tour of the city, a second tour of the magical side of the city, card making, gingerbread house contests, three bridal showers, and more. Then at night, Scorpius would sit on the edge of her bed, and they would talk and laugh and everything felt so normal. Like Rose should always be there._

" _I still can't believe Ara said yes in the first place," Rose giggled. "I told her everything, Scor._ Everything _. She knows this was a ruse to set himself up with her, and she still agreed."_

" _Have to admit, they work well together."_

" _I know. I think that's what kills me the most. It works," Rose had fallen back into her pillows._

" _Al schemes too much for his own good," Scorpius smiled down at her._

" _Makes me wonder what else he's got going. He's usually got about three plans in one, and he's not always this transparent," she sighed. "He probably wants you and me to snog by the end of this."_

 _Scorpius had stiffened so suddenly, Rose looked up at him. Scared at first, then thoughtfully. And for a fraction of a second, Scorpius saw a glint in her eyes that might have been screaming "Kiss me now, you fool!" and he wanted to. He really, truly wanted to. He even began to lean down toward her. Those three freckles on her nose getting closer. Her eyes fluttered, lids hooded._

 _Someone cleared their throat, causing Scorpius to turn around. Mr. Weasley stood in the doorway of Rose's room, a stern look on his face. "It's almost midnight."_

" _Sorry, Dad," Scorpius glanced over at Rose, who had sat up again abruptly. He felt his heart skip a beat as a blush crept over her features. She turned to him then and threw her arms around his neck, which caused a ripple of panic to course through his veins because wasn't her father still there and what was she doing whispering into his ear? "Night, Scor."_

Scorpius had to focus on his poorly constructed card to keep from blushing from the memory. She hugged him again the next night, but there was no soft voice in his ear. No chance of a stolen kiss coming up again.

"You just put a heart sticker over the words 'thank you,' Scor," Rose leaned into him. He looked down at his card.

"Oh well," he threw it toward the middle of the table. "I'm with Al. I'm done."

"Yes! Victory. Slytherins out," Al tried to stand up, but a pair of delicate hands pushed him down into his seat again.

"Not so fast, Albie," Dom smiled, her strawberry blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She hadn't really come out of her room much since Christmas Day, but she seemed effortlessly perfect like always. "We're about to start another game."

Al groaned. Loudly. Scorpius wanted to join in, but he had to remind himself that he was still a guest. It was just—it was because they had already played innumerable games. Like Monopoly—which was horrendously stressful and made Lily Potter flip over the table when she lost everything—and they had an egg toss—which ended up all over Rose because she was terrible at catching small objects. Just Quaffles for her please—and then they had a tug of war, some wizard's chess tournaments, a mock duel (Bill Weasley won against Rose's dad, and they sequentially had to sit through a very humorous dinner listening to all the amazing things Ron Weasley had done better than Bill, including, but not limited to, accidentally befriending the Chosen One when he was eleven), and more.

And the games were getting old now. And the projects. And the tours and the socializing and the endless food and Scorpius wanted to go home for a little bit to actually unwind.

"Attention, all!" Vic was standing at the head of the long crafting table. "Grab a partner, it's time for the balloon race!"

"What does that even mean?" Al's face dropped into his hands. Ara instinctively placed a hand on his shoulder, and Rose looked at Scorpius, a glint in her blue eyes.

"Welp, I'm gonna snag Hugo for this one." And Dom was off again.

"She seems really happy," Rose commented.

"I wonder what's up now," Al raised his eyes to watch his cousin fading into the crowd. As soon as everyone vacated the area, the table shrank into the floor.

"Partners?" Scorpius asked Rose.

She tilted her head. "You know you don't have to ask anymore, silly. Dates for life, right?"

"Right," and he found himself smiling like an idiot while he followed her to where everyone was lining up for the balloon race. Thanks to the b-e-a-utiful word vomit Rose had experienced, Scorpius was graced with the gift of touching her unabashedly for nearly two weeks straight. Not gropey, hormonal stuff. Innocent things, like a hand on her shoulder, around her waist, resting on her knee. But only in public, of course. And only when Teddy was around.

But still. It was more than Scorpius could have wished for before the holiday break.

"Listen, please!" Vic held up a pink balloon the size of a honeydew melon. "The rules are simple. Get your balloon from this side of the room to the other without using your hands and without letting it hit the ground. And NO magic, Louis, so you put that wand away immediately."

"Should we put it in our mouth?" Rose asked him, but Scorpius shook his head. Vic kept explaining.

"These balloons are _extremely_ delicate, because I charmed them to be. If it pops, you and your teammate are out. AND!—oh! can't believe I almost forget this part—both you and your teammate must be touching the balloon at all times."

"So what's the point of this, Vic?" Louis, who looked very put off by his sister calling him out, questioned.

"The prize, of course, is two tickets to the day spa right after New Year's," Vic rolled her eyes. "Alright! Here come the balloons."

The prize. Scorpius almost forgot. All the games had a prize, though he and Rose had yet to win anything.

Hugo and Louis had won the blindfolded race though—Louis had been blindfolded, and Hugo navigated him through a maze of obstacles—and when they opened their prize box, the pair was greeted with one hundred chocolate frogs wrapped individually for either trade or consumption.

Not too bad of a prize.

Vic's mother, Fleur, handed Scorpius a balloon.

"I have an idea," Rose grabbed the balloon from him and placed it against his ribcage. Then she promptly stood in front of him, letting the balloon rest against her chest. She dropped her hands. The balloon stayed. "I am, in fact, a genius. Thank you, thank you."

She bowed her head playfully, like she was accepting an award over her brilliant idea.

Scorpius looked down. The balloon wasn't quite on his chest and it wasn't quite on his stomach. It resided right in the middle. But on Rose, it rested—Scorpius pulled his entire head up so that he was staring at the top of her voracious hair instead of at her… breasts.

Right. That's the proper word for them.

Scorpius cleared his throat.

"Everyone ready! Set! Go!" Vic shouted. Scorpius saw the pretty blonde lean into Teddy, watching as their family members started running around frantically with balloons pressed between them. Hugo and Dom had placed the balloon between their foreheads, Al and Ara had theirs like him and Rose, Rose's parents had their balloon balancing between their elbows.

Everyone was making a mad dash toward the finish line.

Then they heard the first pop. Fred and his dad were out, which only caused more pandemonium as others accidentally popped their own balloons laughing at the disgruntled pair.

"Watch it!" Rose yelled at her cousin Molly when the older girl bumped into her. Rose looked to Scorpius. "They're barking, the lot of them."

Rose and Scorpius took the slow-and-steady approach, taking cautious steps toward the other side. Scorpius would say "step" when they needed to move, and Rose kept her eyes out for anyone who might hit them.

He kept his eyes on her the whole time. When she caught him staring, finally, they stopped dead in the middle of all the chaos.

"We should—"

"Keep going?"

Neither moved.

And then someone accidentally jammed an elbow into Scorpius's back. There was a pop, a small yelp, and Scorpius was pushed up against Rose, their balloon long gone.

Rose's hands had instinctively come up to prevent either of them falling, so that they now rested on his shoulders. Scorpius too had tried to grab at her before they tumbled, and he was firmly holding on to her hips, keeping them steady, and sequentially, against his own.

Rose stared up into his eyes, bit down on her bottom lip, and Scorpius almost lost all control. It would be too easy to just lean down, close the distance. They were already so close, bodies mashed up together, aligned almost perfectly to each other. Scorpius knew it wasn't quite perfect, yet though, because her neck and head were too far away from his own. Rose must have sensed it too, because he felt her rising up on her toes, inching closer to his own face.

Might as well help, right?

"Oi! Great idea guys!" Al shouted at them, and Scorpius and Rose both turned to stare at Al as he purposely popped his and Ara's balloon, sandwiching her in a bear hug. The girl giggled along with Al's antics.

Scorpius felt Rose groan and was happy to realize she was still holding on to him, pressed against him.

"What?" he asked her.

"What a child," she rolled her eyes and let her head fall into his chest. Scorpius laughed and hugged her briefly before Vic's shrill voice yelled, "Rose and Scorpius, you are _out!_ Albus Potter! Quit kissing your girlfriend and get out of the way."

Rose and Scorpius looked toward the pair, and they were indeed kissing. Passionately. Without a care in the world.

"Of course," Scorpius rolled his eyes. And then felt a breeze of cold air as Rose stepped away from him and toward the sidelines to watch.

* * *

"Well don't you look dapper," Hugo's reflection said to Scorpius. The older boy turned to face the younger one.

"Yeah?"

"Rose'll love it." Scorpius tensed slightly, but quickly smiled at Hugo. That was right. Al had talked to Hugo about the whole idiotic plan.

Except… maybe it wasn't completely idiotic after all. Al and Ara were definitely a _thing_ now. Almost as bad as Connor and Roxanne. Scorp had walked in on his best friend kissing his new girlfriend's neck _twice_ since the day before. Rose had pretended to get sick all over the floor both times.

Scorpius looked back into the mirror. Hugo was staring at him still. "What?"

"Oh, stop it, Malfoy," Hugo busied himself with fixing his bowtie in the mirror. Wizard wedding, Muggle clothes. Go figure.

Scorpius slid his hands into his pockets. "Stop what?"

Hugo's reflection sought out his own eyes. Scorpius was surprised to see that they were a warm brown color, unlike Rose's blue ones. Hugo also had darker, frizzier, auburn hair. He maybe had more freckles than Rose, and his nose was much larger. But they were definitely siblings.

"Stop pretending you don't have owl-eyes for my sister." Hugo patted down the top of his hair. It was just as bushy as Rose's, that was for sure. "I mean, when Al first told me, I didn't believe him. But, mate, it's so blaringly obvious that you fancy each other, I can't believe it's still taking you both this long."

At least he had the decency to blush. Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean about Al?"

Hugo turned away from the mirror again. "Al set all this up for you. Made me promise I wouldn't say a word. Lily woulda killed him. She thinks this should happen naturally, but what's more natural than forced social settings?"

"What are you—"

"Scorpius," Hugo placed a hand on his shoulder, "Al told me his plan before he even thought of asking Rose or talking to you. He knows you two. Better than you know yourself sometimes. He's a weird, little one, but I blame that on the Potter in him. But, yeah, he knew it would be a good idea. And he got Ara in the process."

Scorpius watched as Hugo shuddered. The blond raised his eyebrow.

"You wouldn't believe where I caught them snogging last night," Hugo grinned wide, and Scorpius felt like laughing just looking at him. "But, anyways. You and Rose. I'm on board that train. Heck, Al's already driving it. My dad might need convincing, but—that would be any boy, really."

They fell into an awkward silence, during which the only thing either one could do was stare at the other and then look away abruptly when they made eye contact. Was this a normal thing? To get a girl's brother's blessing before he even worked out how he felt? Because Scorpius knew he was falling for Rose. He knew he wanted to kiss her and maybe see what it would be like alone, away from all the wedding stuff. But he also knew that it was a two-person decision to move any relationship forward. What was he going to do? Grab her face mid-sentence and kiss her? Like she'd go for that in the end.

Scorpius could hear her scolding him now. He smiled.

"So, how 'bout those Cannons?" Scorpius tried instead. He knew Mr. Weasley was fond of the team, so maybe Hugo would be too. Rose's inclination was with Holyhead. Scorp preferred Puddlemere. But he'd try anything at that point.

And it worked. And they were off on Quidditch and the embarrassment was behind them, thank Merlin.

"Hey, boys," Mr. Weasley poked his head in their room, "ceremony's starting soon. Maybe we could wrap it up, yeah?"

"Sure thing, Dad," Hugo smiled again. Scorpius was starting to really like that kid's grin; he wore it everywhere.

"Ron, Harry and Ginny are waiting for us," Mrs. Weasley popped around her husband in the doorframe. She was dressed in a flowy dress that stopped just above her knees. It was purple in color, and Scorpius could see her husband's eyes light up.

"Yes, coming!" Mr. Weasley said.

"Uh, is Rose ready?" Scorpius asked. He felt out of breath, like saying her name was the most deliciously taxing thing to say. Like he'd just run a marathon and she was the victory speech.

"Dominque stopped by about ten minutes ago looking for help. Rose said she'd meet us at the wedding later," Mrs. Weasley smiled and began to usher her husband out of the room. "Right. We're off—Hugo! Change your shirt immediately."

Scorpius watched as the grin slipped from Hugo's face. "What, why?"

Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley were already walking away toward the front door. Over her shoulder, Mrs. Weasley called back, "There's a stain on the left sleeve."

The front door shut, while Hugo searched his shirt.

"How did she even see that? It's the size of a pea!"

"Just change," Scorpius laughed. "I'll wait with you.

Five minutes later, Scorpius was waiting in their suite's living area. Hugo was mumbling angry things to himself in the mirror… apparently there weren't any other clean shirts anywhere.

"Why don't you just magic it away," Scorpius shouted from the couch.

"I can't. I'm only fifteen," Hugo shouted back.

"Well whatever you decide, hurry up. We're gonna be late."

"If you're so worried, _you_ magic it off. _You're_ seventeen," Hugo yelled back.

"Now why would I do that? This is much more fun." Scorpius grinned at the string of curses leaving his and Hugo's shared room. So this is what a brother would be like. He couldn't complain; it was much like living with Al, though Al wouldn't have thought twice about being underage. Al would have used magic, accidentally burned a hole through the sleeve, then would have covered everything up with a giant feather scarf.

Or something of that nature.

Of course, Al would need to conjure up a feather scarf, which would mean that there would be at least three scarves-come-to-life roaming the hotel as well.

There was a creak and then a bang. Someone had entered through the front door.

"Bollocks!" Scorpius turned his attention toward Hugo as he emerged half dressed from his room. "Mum, I was only trying to find a clean shirt and then I ended up—Rosie?"

Scorpius's head immediately shot toward the new arrival.

There she was, red hair slicked on top of her head, a light blue dress hugging her curvy body, and a pale, drained look on her face. She blinked, first looking at her brother and then at Scorpius. He instinctively rose from the couch. Clearly, Rose was not expecting either of them to be in the room.

She blinked again and smiled. "Hi."

"Rose, you okay?" Hugo asked. He took a step forward, but she already had a hand up.

"I'm fine."

"No," Scorpius said. "We can both see you're not."

Rose looked at both boys again, and for a split second, Scorpius was afraid she was going to run. He prepared to launch himself toward her in order to stop her, but just as quickly as he thought about it, Rose had already beelined for the couch, grabbing his hand in the process.

She sank down into the cushions, bringing Scorpius with her.

"You might as well come over here, Hugo," she mumbled.

Her brother opted for the single recliner across from the pair. Scorpius shared a look with Hugo, both expecting the worst.

* * *

Rose was just cleaning up the tissues Dom had left behind. When her older cousin came to her room, Rose didn't even hesitate to go and help her "get ready."

Dom was nervous. She was nervous because she felt guilty and she wanted her sister to forgive her. And Rose had stressed over and over that what Vic needed was to listen, not forgive.

Dom just wanted things to be normal again. And Rose completely understood. So she sat with her cousin while she cried, then fixed her cousin's make-up, then told her cousin to grow up.

" _It won't go away until you accept it and move on. And the only way to make it better would be to march down to your sister's room, tell her you don't care about what happened, all you care about is her and her wedding day."_

And Dom had left with the intention of doing just that.

The crumpled up tissues fell from Rose's hand into the rubbish bin. Merlin, if only she could take her own advice. Accept and move on. It happened. Let today be today's focus.

That's when there was a knock at the door. Maybe Dom forgot her key?

Rose looked around but couldn't spot the room card anywhere.

Hesitantly, she opened the door and almost slammed it shut again. She might as well have, because Teddy didn't look too keen on seeing her in Dom's room either.

"What do you want?" _Maybe that was a little too harsh_ , Rose scolded herself.

"I was looking for Dom, but—" why were his eyes dancing? Seriously? They looked everywhere but at her. Down the hall, over his shoulder, into the room. Wild dancing. Wild… panic!

Rose took a deep breath. She knew what that look meant. Quickly, she grabbed Teddy by the wrist and pulled him into the room. The door slammed shut behind her, leaving her trapped in a room with her latest and greatest worst nightmare.

"Rosie, what are you—"

"No. No 'Rosie.' No." Rose felt her entire body light on fire. "You are going to sit on that bed and wait until that ceremony begins. Then you are going to march down there and either break everything off _or_ you are going to marry Victoire and you are gonna _like_ it."

"Rose—"

"No talking!" She shouted. "You are a flight risk. You are horrendously nervous, and quite frankly, track records show you aren't the best boyfriend when you're panicking."

"Wait, that's not fair—"

"Not fair!" Yep. She was going to lose it. "Not fair is being fourteen years old and having your first kiss stolen from a guy you consider to be your brother. Not to mention, he's already dating your cousin and has never talked about the incident again. OH WAIT. He _has_ talked about that incident again. In a bloody letter three years later, reminding you of something you've tried very hard to forget.

"Not fair is having your whole family split down the middle, backing one sister over the other. Not fair is getting married to a man who can't get his own feelings together, let alone his lips," Rose took a deep breath. She had started pacing again. Maybe that was her thing. To pace wildly while ranting about the things in her life she hated most. So she stopped dead in her tracks, stared into Teddy's big brown eyes, and said as calmly as possible, "What are you even thinking, Teddy? What were you thinking then? And what are you doing here now?"

At least he had the decency to cry.

Rose grabbed the box of tissues and sank beside Teddy onto the bed. She rested her elbow on her knees, propping her head up with one hand. De ja vu, really. Was it really a matter of minutes before she was in this same pose with Dom at her side?

Rose looked over at Teddy, and for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel queasy. She felt rather, well, normal. A little annoyed maybe, but nothing as severe as she had before.

Teddy lifted his face, blotting any excess tears with a tissue. "You know I love Victoire, right? I would never in a million years hurt her."

"Yeah, well, you've a funny way of showing that," Rose pulled another tissue from the box and started cleaning Teddy's face of any traces of snot. He really did have a handsome face: square jaw, angular nose, smooth cheek bones. He was more round where Scorpius was sharp, though.

Rose sat up straighter, hoping her blush was hidden enough behind her makeup. Teddy didn't say anything; he just shifted so he was facing her better. "She deserves the world, that girl does."

When Rose didn't say anything, Teddy tried again. "It's just—Vic has always taken care of me. When she got to Hogwrats, she was there for me. Kids picked on me cause of my metamorphmagus abilities. And then when they taught about Dad in History of Magic, and how he was a werewolf, it got so much worse. But there was Vic. I was in love with her instantly. And I was so scared, because, damn, Rosie, how could she like me when everyone else would hit me if they had the chance?"

"And you repay her by—"

"Look, I know. I _know_. I'm not cut out for this whole thing, this love thing. Three years ago… Gran had just died, you know, and I had no one. I had no home, no real career other than odd jobs in Diagon Alley, and maybe twelve galleons to my name. But I had Vic. She was my constant. She _is_ my constant. But that New Year's…"

Tiny tears caught in Teddy's eyelashes. He blinked once. Twice. When he opened his eyes the third time, Rose felt like crying herself. Tears were brimming over, and there was no doubt there was regret in his eyes.

"I shouldn't have done that to you. I shouldn't have. It was all my fault. I took advantage of a situation. I was drinking and miserable and made a mistake that I can't take back. And I'm so sorry, Rose. I'm really, truly sorry."

"You should be," she said quietly. She wanted to sound more angry than that, but it wasn't anger she was feeling. Not anymore at least. They sat in a strange silence, like the room was being vacuumed of everything but Rose's words. The yellow curtains, white walls, blue carpet, it was disappearing, greying, fading. It was just them in silence. So instead of letting that be it, Rose kept talking, barely above a whisper. "You really did a number on me. One I haven't really shaken. And it was all because you were with Vic."

A pause. Teddy shifted. Then, "I wasn't."

Rose squinted, her nose scrunching up in the process.

"In that moment, I wasn't with Vic… she, she broke up with me after Christmas, before New Year's. Thought that we hadn't given ourselves a chance to really explore other people. I was twenty years old, without any family to call mine. I know Uncle Harry means well, but godfathers only count for so much. I was so scared, thinking I'd lost Vic, and there you were, Rose, and you and I were talking and it was nice and... Damn it. I'm sorry."

"You weren't with Vic?"

"No. Not in that moment. But we soon reconciled," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe two days later. And everything felt right again, so I didn't dare bring up my New Year's fuck up."

"Teddy…" Rose watched him as he searched her face. Her whole world was reeling again, much like that New Year's party. For years, Rose felt that guilt—the guilt of kissing her cousin's boyfriend and _liking_ it—weigh upon her. She had refused to date, feeling so disgusted with herself, thinking she didn't deserve anyone.

And now she learned that she wasn't a mistress or whatever she would have been called. Her conscience was free. And Rose just wanted to slap Teddy and leave.

"Rose, we should have talked sooner," Teddy's head drooped. "And I shouldn't have written that letter to you. I panicked, what with all the Dom stuff."

Her ears perked up. "So… what is all the Dom stuff then?"

At least he had the decency to look ashamed this time.

"It's half and half, Rose. Dom and I were talking, I told her how scared I was. Excited, yes, but also scared. And Dom told me she thought I could do better if I was really feeling scared. That if I had any doubts then I wasn't where I should be."

"Are you telling me that Dom did come on to you?"

"No," Teddy stood up. "No, I initiated it all. But she wasn't pushing back as hard as she claims. And I've talked about this to Vic, of course, and here we are. We are getting married, because I love her and I want a life with her. I want to call her my very own family every day. And I came here looking to clear the air with Dom, because Vic deserves to have her sister back. Vic deserves to have millions of beautiful and wonderful days ahead of her. She deserves nothing but the best."

"Teddy," he turned to her. He had started pacing now, "go tell her that."

"But—"

"No but's. You're going to be late to your own wedding." Rose took a deep breath. "A wedding you are definitely ready for."

"Rose, I—"

"I forgave you already. Get going," Rose stood and pointed toward the door. Teddy smiled bigger than Hugo.

Before he left, Teddy leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Rose's cheek. "Thanks, love."

And he was off, out the door, ready to take on the world of marriage and babies and all the other things that came from being wed.

But Rose wasn't going to see it. She needed to unwind, maybe nap, and then maybe she'd attend the after party.

Because in that moment, Rose as too tired and too shocked to care. She had better things to worry about, like her new revelation that she forgave Teddy long before that day.

Yes. She'd just head back and relax now.


	5. Happy New Beginning

It was a beautiful wedding, really, when they actually went down to see it. Scorpius and Hugo had sat with Rose while she explained everything. Scorp had a hard time sitting and listening though, because even the thought of Teddy alone with Rose was terrifying enough to want to kick the groom flat on his arse.

Of course, Rose was older and wiser, and much, much stronger than she was at fourteen. At least, that's what Scorpius had come to see. He really hadn't talked to her much back then. Just in Potions and when Al made them sit together. And in the library when they studied together for end of term exams.

Had they really just begun their friendship during those few days together?

Scorp had shaken his head, instead intent on hearing how everything ended. Hugo, on the other hand, was all questions. Once he was settled down and Rose had completed her story, the three sat quietly, waiting for what came next. Whatever that was going to be.

Eventually, Rose said they should head down to the ceremony. Which they did. And they sat in the back just in time for the I-do's.

Rose had taken Scorpius's hand the moment they sat. At first, she gripped it tightly, her knuckles white from nerves. But she soon relaxed. Then they were just holding hands, peacefully. Scorpius had watched Hugo squirm on the other side of Rose, which was really Hugo squirming to get Scorpius's attention, and then the boy looked down at Scorpius and Rose's linked fingers and winked, smiling again. Always smiling.

Stupid Gryffindor.

At the reception, Scorpius and Rose had found a quiet corner to sit and talk and not worry about anything else. She was back to being herself then, and Scorpius told her so.

"Thanks?" She had said.

"I don't mean it in a bad way," he had laughed. "I mean that you're okay. That's a good thing."

"Perhaps," Rose's face started to change into a mischievous grin, "I'd be even better after a dance."

Then she had pulled him to the dance floor, where all her red-headed relatives had already taken domain. They danced the fast songs with Al and Ara and Hugo and Lily. Then the songs slowed, and Scorpius didn't even hesitate before grabbing Rose's hands and pulling her closer to dance alone.

She had smiled, giggled. Scorpius couldn't take his eyes off her. His heart was pounding in his ears. There were people all around them, but they were more like blurring dots. Fuzz balls hovering in his peripherals. There was only Rose.

Now, the Weasleys and co. were back in the reception hall celebrating New Year's Eve. Vic and Teddy had left for their honeymoon after the party the previous day. But that didn't stop the Weasleys from partying. No sir. Scorpius started to wonder if they did anything but celebrate. The adults were tipsy, the school-aged kids were running around, all smiles. The younger kids were happy eating left over cake from the night before and with little parental supervision to boot.

Scorpius was standing by the window, looking out at the Parisian landscape. There were lights lit up everywhere. Right below him was a pair of drunks singing a lively jaunt in French. Their arms were around each other's shoulders. One was quite tall, covered in brown clothes—his hat, his pants, his jacket, and his shoes all brown—and a very bright purple scarf. The other was squat, round in the middle, dressed in all black, except for the plastic party hat on his head.

Both men threw their heads back, singing the crescendo of their song, their voices clashing together awfully. Then they were hooting and howling, stumbling down the street.

Scorpius laughed.

"I wish I could understand them," Rose leaned against the window pane beside Scorpius. "They seem very happy."

"Is it bad that when I first saw them, I imagined myself and Al like that in a couple years?"

Rose looked out on the retreating figures. "Only a couple years?"

"Don't worry; I won't let myself go like that."

"That would be Al," Rose smiled.

"Where is he?"

"You don't want to know."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "I feel like I should be upset that he abandoned me after forcing _you_ to bring _me_ here for _him_."

"Don't flatter yourself, Scor. He never wanted you. Just an excuse." Rose bumped his shoulder, letting him know she was teasing. "Besides, I wouldn't have gotten all this time with you then, and where would we be?"

"We wouldn't be dates for life, would we?" He teased back. Rose shifted her head so that her hair fell in front of her face. He knew she was blushing behind that curtain, and it made him smile. That would never get old.

"We're friends, right?" Rose asked after a little while. She was starting to peek out from behind her hair.

"I think so," Scorpius answered. But it was much quieter than he expected it to be. Of course he wanted her friendship. He bloody well fancied her at this point. But he had no idea how or what to do to breach that subject. Because this whole thing was a hoax. Because all the touching and such happened because of Teddy. Not because of anything natural between them… right?

Scorpius rested his head against the cool window. His pair of drunks was gone; the only noise creeping in from the outside was the sound of cars rushing by. The music behind them drowned out anything else Scorpius might have heard as well, and besides, he was starting to think that the rushing sound was actually the blood moving around in his ears.

"I know so, actually," he said finally. "We're friends, Rose, because I really like you and we get on just—we get on fine."

Stupid. Bloody. Just.

"So, yes. We're friends… that okay with you?"

"Of course!" She smiled. Scorpius looked into her eyes, relieved that he said what he did, because he didn't want her thinking they weren't friends at all. But then he saw the hint of disappointment he too felt thinking about friendship with this girl. Because there was definitely room for more. He wanted more.

But how?

The music was slowly fading out now until it stopped completely. "It's thirty seconds to the New Year, you beautiful people!" George Weasley could be heard around the room. No doubt a Sonorus Charm. "Count it down with me, my brothers! Oh, and you too Ginny!"

Scorpius watched Rose's face as she turned to look at the center of the room. Immediately she began cracking up. Scorp looked too. There they were, the five Weasley brothers dancing around, counting down, with boas around their necks to boot. Rose's own dad was linked arm in arm with his older brother Charlie. Mrs. Potter was standing to the side while George and Percy tried to pull her into the spectacle. Then Al jumped in in her place, and the whole crowd was roaring.

He had lipstick marks on his face and chin and neck.

"Perfect little lip-prints from Ara, no doubt," Rose was holding her sides form her giggles. The three beauty marks on her nose were scrunched up, which made Scorp smile even broader. He started walking closer to the group, but Rose grabbed a hold of his sleeve. "I like where we're standing."

Scorpius looked around them. Alone, by the window. Just him and Rose. Everyone away, laughing, and them together. Facing each other. So close now that Scorpius felt his chin touch his chest from having to look down at her. He took a small step back, but not too far. Just enough so she wasn't straining her neck to look up at him.

"Thanks," she whispered, "for being my date for life this week."

"Anytime," he searched her face. Waiting for something. But she didn't say anything and this was getting ridiculous so he went for it. Because, screw it. That's why. "I mean, I'd do it again, if you'd ask. I liked being your date. Not the 'for life' part, since that was all just—it was an act. A ruse. But the other stuff. The actual date-like stuff. I liked… it."

"Ten… nine…" echoed around them.

"I really appreciated it, you know," she leaned in closer. "I'd do it again, too."

"Six… five…"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Could I…" Was he really going to ask permission for _that_?!

"Two…"

Screw it. "I would very much like to kiss you."

"One…"

She rose up on her tip toes, her eyes fluttering closed and her lips finding his own. Scorpius leant down, letting Rose stand on her flat feet, because he wasn't going to break apart due to silly balance issues. Because this was Rose. He was kissing Rose.

She was kissing him.

And was that her tongue? Merlin save the Queen.

Shouts of "Happy New Year!" rung around the room, like an uproarious lion herd celebrating.

Scorpius wrapped his arms around Rose, gently pulling her closer to him. Her own hands snaked around his neck and into his hair, pulling him closer, deeper.

"Oi!" Scorpius pulled away first. He didn't want to, but that sounded an awful lot like her father, and he didn't want to be caught in a much worse position than an innocent snog. It was innocent, right? He instinctively started to pat his mussed up hair down. Rose was looking over at their interrupter.

"Hugo, you little demon!"

Hugo Weasley began to dance around them. "Oh, you should have seen your faces!"

He quickly left once Rose threatened to Bat-Bogey Hex him every week until he graduated from Hogwarts. Scorp did a scan of the room, looking for anyone else who might have been watching him feel up Rose. Couples were all over the place, dancing again. George Weasley gave his brother Percy a smooch on the lips, much to the latter's chagrin.

Scorp felt a hand on his arm, and he finally turned to look at Rose.

"Happy New Year," he managed weakly. She started to laugh then, and he couldn't help but join in.

"Best New Year in a while, if you ask me," she smiled. And then she was kissing him again.

* * *

The Hogwarts Express rolled into King's Cross Station, letting off a puff of smoke. Rose was scanning the crowd for Scorpius, because it had been three days since she had saw him last and it was starting to drive her batty.

They had returned home on New Year's Day, and shortly after, Mrs. Malfoy stopped by to pick Scorpius up. She had driven and all, which nearly sent Rose's dad into hysterics when the door closed behind their guests.

" _Imagine it, Hermione!" Ron had slumped into their couch, clutching his side. His cheeks were turning a magnificent shade of red from lack of oxygen. "Draco Malfoy car shopping. And his wife—_ his wife— _making all the negotiations. I can see his scowl now!"_

" _Yes," Rose's mum had rolled her eyes. "How completely amusing, Ronald. Doesn't sound a bit like when we bought our Bentley ten years ago."_

Ron Weasley shut up after that. Rose smiled at the memory. After Scorpius left, Rose had spent her final three days of break studying and catching up on other school work. Something kept distracting her though…

Maybe it was Hugo blasting awful and loud techno-pop music down the hall or maybe it was her parents laughing at the telly too loudly.

Or maybe it was the constant tapping at her window from Scorpius's owl, Podge.

Who really knew, anyways? And besides, she still got her work done.

Mostly.

Hugo nudged her side. "Loverboy's over there."

Rose turned her head toward a trio of people, the head of the triangle a beaming Scorpius. Behind him, flanked on either side, were his parents. Astoria looked almost regal, dressed in all black with lace sleeves and lace hemming. Her dark hair was pulled up into a tight bun, which made her face look sharper. If Rose hadn't met the woman just a few days earlier, she'd have felt her stomach hit the floor for sure.

The words "Audrey Hepburn" ran through Rose's mind suddenly, and she smiled at the approaching mother.

Now, Scorpius's father on the other hand. Draco Malfot was dressed in fine-tailored materials, which appeared darker than black. Rose would bet her entire life savings the word "onyx" was used in th fabric's description at least twice. He looked like his mind was on anything but where his son was leading him. Scorpius gave her a lopsided grin and stopped in front of her.

"Hi."

"Hey," she smiled back. They stood there, just looking at each other.

"Stimulating conversation. Quite a loquacious and vibrant vocabulary you've got there," Hugo pushed past Rose and Scorpius, chortling to himself like he was oh so clever. Rose scrunched up her nose and Scorpius smiled wider at her.

"Hello again, Astoria," Rose's mum extended a hand to Mrs. Malfoy. The other woman took it and looked genuinely pleased at the gesture. When they dropped their hands, Hermione Weasley turned to the other adult. "Draco."

He nodded. Rose's dad repeated the gestures, and soon they were standing in the most uncomfortable silence Rose had ever endured.

"So… we should probably head back to school now, yeah?" Scorpius gently took Rose by the wrist and pulled her away from the quartet of parents. The only person who still looked genuinely happy was Mrs. Malfoy, who Rose knew was younger than the other three. "That could've been worse."

"Worse? Not much happened, Scor," Rose laughed.

"True." He slugged his bag over his shoulder. The train let off a long horn blast, signaling it was time to get on board and head out to Hogwarts. Hogwarts and their final few months as students. Rose took a deep breath. "So, you want to sit together?"

She looked up at Scorpius, and for the first time since she'd kissed him, she started to panic. Why wouldn't they sit together? Was everything that happened just a result of being close together for such a long time? Weren't they together now? _He_ asked to kiss her.

Though that could have been a direct result of too much butterbeer and the whole "kiss someone on New Year's" tradition…

"What are you thinking?" Somewhere in the depths of her brain, Rose heard Scorpius. They had entered the train, walked toward her family's normal compartment, and were standing just outside the door. Rose placed her trunk down in front of her, mentally exhausted from her own thoughts. She could see Hugo and Lily inside, playing Exploding Snap already. Albus and Ara were there too.

"I really like you Rose."

She turned back to face Scorpius, her heart thumping in her ears. Of course she didn't imagine all of it. Of course it wasn't just the week or the fact that it was New Years. Her cheeks started to feel flushed, so she shook her hair into her face.

"Hey," he laughed. His hand pushed back the fallen curls. "I want to see where this goes, so if we could, possibly, would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me? Whenever the next visit's planned?"

Rose smiled back. "Yeah. I'd like that."

He opened the compartment then and motioned for her to enter first. Over her shoulder, she added low enough just for him to hear, "You know, I really like you too."

His perfect green eyes lit up like stars.

* * *

"It's summer!" Ara sprawled out on the grass next to Rose. They were seated by the lake, both already had shed their winter coats. They had been in Charms together, and Ara suggested taking a break outside. During the course of the past few months, Rose began to really like spending time with Ara.

Well, when Rose could get her alone.

"It's not summer quite yet, darling," Al leaned down and laid a kiss on Ara's lips. He sat down beside Rose. "The snow just melted, you know."

"Okay, fine. It's spring. Which means it's almost summer." Ara propped herself up on her elbows, challenging Al with her eyes. They did that. Flirted through petty things, like which season it was or who ate the last cookie or when they should get up in the morning. It was disgustingly sweet.

Rose pushed her sleeves up. It was pretty darn hot for spring, but it was spring nonetheless. Three months had passed since Teddy and Vic's nuptials, and according to Teddy's latest later, things couldn't have been better.

Rose had made a point to check in with him. She had long since forgiven him and felt like she owed it to herself to return their relationship to some level of normalcy. It was Scor's idea, really, but she liked it enough to follow through. He said it would be cathartic, if anything. She said it would start to heal the rift in the Weasley-Potter tribe.

She felt mostly right about that last bit.

Pulling herself out of her own thoughts, Rose rejoined her friends outside, sitting in front of the lake. A breeze rustled past her face like a cool whisper left over from the winter months.

"Well, at least the wind's still—" Al and Ara were snogging animatedly beside her. "Right then."

And she was up, rolling her eyes, heading straight for the castle. Those two idiots could get caught by Filch if they wanted to. In fact, she secretly hoped Professor Hagrid would catch them first. She could just imagine the look on Al's face, all red from embarrassment.

"What's so funny?"

Rose turned to see Scorpius just feet from her. He fell in step with her as they entered the castle.

"Oh, nothing. Just some couple eating each other's jaws down by the lake."

"Ah, young love," he rolled his eyes.

"Yes, young love," she giggled. "No better definition for it other than gross, unnecessary snogging mid-conversation with your cousin."

Scor slid his hand into hers. He did that now, now that they were dating. That had started relatively soon after the wedding, though both agreed to go slow about it. After all, they hadn't really had a chance to fancy each other long before they first kissed.

But it was turning out better than Rose had hoped. She loved being with Scor. He was easy to talk to, fun to joke around with, and there was something about his presence that made her veins light up inside her.

She still felt electricity when he touched her.

And when they kissed. There were no words to describe the lightning she felt in her chest.

"I've got some news," he squeezed her hand.

When she looked at him, she noticed that Scor was looking anywhere but in her direction. "Is it the good kind or the bad kind of news?"

He quickly glanced at her, and then away. "Depends on perspective, I suppose."

"Then you should say it, so I can see it from my own perspective," she squeezed his hand back.

He stopped their walking, pulling her in front of him. Suddenly, she was reminded of when they had to get that ruddy balloon across the room. She really thought he was going to kiss her then, but then Al had to go and be all Al about it.

Rose stopped her train of thought. She had to listen to Scor now in that moment. Because he had since kissed her. Hundreds of times.

"St. Mungo's wants to take me on as a Junior Researcher after graduation."

"That's brilliant!" Rose beamed. "That's amazing, Scor. You'll be working with your father, right? That's—researcher?"

"Yeah," he placed a quick peck on her forehead, "they want me in the Potions department, working on new mixes. I wouldn't… I don't think I'd be with the patients."

"Is that what you want?" Rose took his hands.

"Honestly? I don't know. I thought I wanted to be a Healer, but when I started reading the letter, I got really excited." Scor smiled now, extra wide. "Like really excited, Rose. I couldn't believe it at first. They don't usually take on someone straight from school."

"Well, then I don't think there's much to worry about," Rose continued. "Can you move up though? Become a Healer with time if you wanted?"

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe. I can ask. Either way, though, I think I want to do this."

"I think you should," she smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Because you won't know until you try it, and you said it yourself," she squeezed his hands again, "you're really happy over it. Even I can see that just standing here."

He kissed her then. He did that now, now that they were dating. It was probably the best addition to her daily routine, kissing Scorpius Malfoy.

"I love you, Rose."

They both paused. He looked like he had been stricken across the face with a slap so hard, it took his voice with it. Rose was blushing furiously.

"Uh, I mean that, um, if you don't say it, that—wait—you don't have to say anything that you…" he was slowing becoming more and more tongue-tied. Rose wanted to laugh, but thought better of it. After all, this was the first time he'd said the L-word in regards to her, and laughing might come off a bit insensitive.

Rose's insides felt like they were vibrating with excitement, however, that it didn't matter to her how fast it may have seemed for him to say such a thing so soon. So she placed one finger over his lips, stopping Scor in his tirade of nervously strung words, and said "I love you, too, Scor. Let's get lunch."

She promptly stood on her toes, kissed him gently, and pulled him toward the Great Hall, all while watching the triumphant smile grow on his face.

Yeah. Things were pretty damn good. And she owed it all to giving Al a favor.

(Though she'd never tell him that.)

* * *

 **A/N:** Annnnnnd... it's done. Thanks for reading and reviewing, everyone! I really appreciate it. I hope you liked it!


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